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Pret is giving 50p off to people using reusable cups

Things can get feel a little grim right now, so we've rounded up the latest mood-boosting stories to pep you up when the whole world's getting you down...

December 8, 2017 |

Cashback on coffees with reusable cups

KeepCup users will know the joyous feeling of getting money off their out-and-about hot drinks — nearly making up for the additional cost of their soy/almond/oat milk. But from January 1st, Pret A Manger is upping its game and offering 50p off!

It might sound small, but we’re on board with any initiative that means less one-use plastic is heading to landfills — and those pennies are going to add up.

Vegan cheese goes mainstream

It’s been confirmed, following successful trails over the UK, that Pizza Hut will now be offering Violife vegan cheese. Despite being rolled out initially at Bluewater, Canterbury, Chatham, Crawley and Thanet, instead of vegan stronghold of East London, the dairy-free option was met with unanimous YES, and is now on menus at all of the 262 UK restaurants.

A PETA spokesperson said: ‘With a vegan crust, delicious Violife cheese, and a ton of veggie toppings available, Pizza Hut has the opportunity to become a hot spot for people looking to reduce their contribution to animal suffering and environmental destruction as well as to improve their own health’.

Black rhinos are back

Fourteen black rhinos might not seem like a big number, but when your population has been wiped out by 98 per cent in little more than 60 years, it has the potential to be huge. Fourteen of these fantastic beasts are being moved to a secret location with a specific view to breeding, and helping to turn the tide that has seen numbers plummet by a tear-jerking 98% since the Sixties; that’s a drop from around 850,000 in Africa to just 5,000. Somewhat predictably, this is largely due to poaching. This is the 11th such move since 2003, and expansion project leader Dr Jacques Flamand says: “This is good news because it shows that the plan to increase black rhino numbers is working.”

Tech for good’ is on the rise

If most films are to be believed, technology is invariably used for nefarious purposes. Think of James Bond’s nether regions facing Goldfinger’s laser, creepy computer Hal 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey or the end of humanity in Terminator 2. However, there’s a growing trend: “tech for good” projects. We Want You in NYC has been set up by disgruntled tech workers who were growing disillusioned at the way their industry was heading; they now want to use technology to improve people’s lives, and are now calling on Silicon Valley employees to join them. Meanwhile, research carried out by the Financial Times has found that the number of European “tech for good” companies has doubled in the past two years. Something to remember the next time you’re watching The Matrix.

Psychopaths could be good for society

Psychopaths are a wonderful thing… when it comes to fiction. Think Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, Hannibal Lecter in Silence Of The Lambs or Norman Bates in Psycho. However, it seems they can be good for society. Before you think about asking Dr Lecter to join you and the family for a weekend at Center Parcs, this is all according to research carried out at the University Of Plymouth and, crucially, the findings pertain to psychopaths being able to make those tricky life-or-death (and the onus is on “death”) decisions, such as sacrificing one life to save a bigger group. ‘This study opens up the possibility to assess psychopathy using novel virtual reality technology,” says Dr Sylvia Terbeck, Lecturer in Social Psychology at Plymouth, “which is vital to better understand how and why people with these behavioural traits act in certain ways.’

The ad industry is cracking down on gender stereotyping

There’s an old adage when it comes to making money: sex sells (most pop videos back up such a point). However, it seems some advertising agencies will need to get a little more creative when it comes to encouraging many of us to part with our cash following a report by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). That means a crackdown on gender stereotyping, body shaming and mocking those who don’t conform to stereotypes. ‘Our review shows that specific forms of gender stereotypes in ads can contribute to harm for adults and children,” says lead author of the report, Ella Smillie. ‘Such portrayal scan limit how people see themselves, how others see them, and limit the life decisions they take. Tougher standards in the areas we’ve identified will address harms and ensure that modern society is better represented’.

The ‘man up’ era is over

There was a time when the quintessential British male would conjure up images of a stiff upper lip and suppressed emotions. Thankfully, such an era appears to be over. More than 2,000 men were asked about the core values they aspired to in their professional, personal and private lives, and what gave them the greatest positive mental attitude. Pleasingly, the responses saw qualities such as “Honest” and “Reliable” come out on top, with “Athletic” and “Adventurous” among the least popular. ‘There has been a very welcome increase in focus recently on male-specific issues such as the appallingly high male suicide rate and the underachievement of boys and young men in education,’ says Dr John Barry of UCL Department of Psychology, who led the research, along with US grooming firm Harry’s. The Harry’s Masculinity Report will be launched at an event at the Houses of Parliament on 16 November, ahead of International Men’s Day on 19 November.

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